Pet Surgery in San Jose — Advanced Veterinary Surgical Care

Pet Surgery in San Jose

Most general-practice clinics around here handle the basics and refer everything else across the Bay. We built ARCH to close that gap. Our Winchester hospital is equipped for routine and a lot of complex work that families would otherwise have to drive an hour for: dedicated surgical suite, modern anesthesia and monitoring, integrated CT for surgical planning, ultrasound, digital X-ray, full in-house lab. And honestly the biggest thing we offer is continuity — the same team that knows your pet from wellness also performs and recovers the surgery.

Surgical Care for Dogs and Cats

We operate on every age — kitten and puppy spay/neuter through senior soft-tissue work. Every patient gets an anesthetic and surgical plan built around their species, breed, age, body condition, and any underlying disease. Brachycephalic breeds (bulldogs, frenchies, pugs), geriatric cats, diabetics, and pets with heart or kidney concerns get adjusted protocols and extra monitoring — these are the patients where shortcuts hurt. Cats get feline-friendly handling, quiet recovery, and species-specific drug choices.

Common Veterinary Surgeries We Perform

What we do most: spay and neuter, GI foreign body retrieval, abscess and wound repair, splenectomy for bleeding masses, cystotomy for bladder stones, mass removals (skin, subcutaneous, mammary), eyelid masses, oral and dental surgery, abdominal exploratory, gastric decompression and gastropexy for bloat (GDV), cesarean section, enucleation, and selected orthopedic and emergency cases. When something's outside our scope, we coordinate referral to a board-certified surgical specialist and stay involved with your pet's overall care.

Mass Removals, Wound Repair, and Soft Tissue Surgery

Soft tissue is the bulk of what we do surgically. Skin and subcutaneous masses get fine-needle aspirate or biopsy before surgery whenever possible so we can plan margins and submit tissue for histopath afterward — we want to know what we took off, not guess. Wound repair (bite wounds, lacerations, the dog-fight cases that come in on a Sunday night) usually needs sedation, surgical debridement, drains, layered closure, antibiotics, and aggressive pain control. Other regulars: perianal masses, eyelid surgery, ear hematoma repair, hernia repair, and selected reconstructive work.

Emergency Surgery and Urgent Surgical Cases

Some cases can't wait. During our open hours we handle emergency surgery for suspected bloat (GDV), GI obstruction or perforation, splenic mass with internal bleeding, severe trauma, deep penetrating wounds, urinary obstruction that didn't unblock with catheterization, pyometra, and dystocia needing a c-section. Emergency cases start with stabilization — oxygen, IV access, fluids, pain control, bloodwork, imaging — and then move to the operating room. More on intake at /emergency-vet-san-jose.

Dental Surgery and Oral Procedures

A lot of our surgical work is in the mouth. We do single and surgical extractions, oral mass removal, biopsy of suspicious oral lesions, jaw and dental fracture management, oronasal fistula repair, and treatment of feline tooth resorption. Every dental procedure includes full-mouth X-rays, regional nerve blocks for pain control, careful elevation and sectioning, and post-op pain meds. Full dental program details at /pet-dental-cleaning-san-jose.

Pre-Surgical Testing and Safety

Safe surgery starts long before the operating room. Every surgical patient gets a thorough physical exam, a review of medications and prior records, and pre-anesthetic diagnostics matched to age and procedure: CBC, chemistry, electrolytes, T4 in older cats, urinalysis when indicated, clotting tests for higher-risk patients, ECG or imaging when relevant. These tests catch anemia, infection, dehydration, kidney or liver disease, and cardiovascular concerns that change the anesthetic plan. We talk findings through with you and adjust before we proceed — never as a surprise the day of.

Advanced Imaging Before Surgery

Modern surgery depends on knowing the anatomy before you make the incision. We have in-house digital X-ray, abdominal and thoracic ultrasound, and same-day CT (see /ct-scan-san-jose). CT is powerful for planning: mapping tumor margins for oncology surgery, defining fracture fragments for orthopedic repair, locating radiolucent foreign bodies, working up the nose and skull, and screening for lung metastases that might change whether surgery is the right call at all. Better imaging means shorter anesthesia, fewer intra-op surprises, and more accurate estimates.

Recovery, Pain Control, and Follow-Up Care

Recovery is part of the surgery, not an afterthought. Every surgical patient gets multimodal pain management — usually injectable opioids, local or regional nerve blocks, NSAIDs when appropriate, and oral meds for home. Patients are monitored through anesthetic recovery in our treatment area before they're discharged. You go home with detailed written instructions for incision care, activity restriction, medication timing, e-collar use, feeding, and warning signs that mean call us. We schedule post-op rechecks, suture removal, and biopsy result discussions, and we coordinate with your primary vet when needed. Broader hospital info at /vet-hospital-san-jose.

Frequently asked questions

What types of pet surgery do you offer?

ARCH performs spay and neuter, gastrointestinal foreign body retrieval, abscess and wound repair, splenectomy, cystotomy for bladder stones, mass removals, oral and dental surgery, abdominal exploratory, gastric decompression and gastropexy for bloat, cesarean section, enucleation, and selected orthopedic and emergency procedures. For cases outside our scope we coordinate referral to a board-certified surgical specialist.

Does my pet need bloodwork before surgery?

Yes. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork is part of every ARCH surgical workup. CBC, chemistry, electrolytes, T4 in older cats, and urinalysis or clotting tests when indicated identify anemia, infection, kidney or liver disease, and other concerns that can change the anesthetic protocol. We discuss any abnormal findings with you and adjust the plan before proceeding.

Do you offer emergency surgery?

Yes. ARCH provides emergency pet surgery during our open hours for life-threatening problems including bloat (GDV), gastrointestinal obstruction, splenic bleeding, severe trauma, urinary obstruction unresponsive to catheterization, pyometra, and cesarean section. Emergency cases begin with stabilization before moving to the operating room.

How do you manage pain after surgery?

Every ARCH surgical patient receives multimodal pain management — typically a combination of injectable opioids during surgery, local or regional nerve blocks for the surgical site, NSAIDs when appropriate, and oral take-home medication. Pain control is planned proactively because comfortable patients eat sooner, breathe better, and recover more reliably.

Can CT imaging help before surgery?

Yes — and ARCH is one of the few San Jose hospitals with in-house CT. CT maps tumor margins for cancer surgery, defines fracture fragments for orthopedic repair, locates radiolucent foreign bodies, evaluates nasal and skull anatomy, and screens for lung metastases. Better pre-surgical imaging shortens anesthesia time, reduces surprises, and produces more accurate risk discussions.

What should I expect after my pet's surgery?

You'll go home with detailed written instructions for incision care, activity restriction, medication timing, e-collar use, feeding, and warning signs. Most pets need 10 to 14 days of restricted activity. We schedule post-operative rechecks, suture removal when applicable, and biopsy result discussions, and we coordinate with your primary veterinarian on ongoing care.